November 23, 2011

Hari Ragat: Fall of Maha Vijadesa

These snippets of history are extracted from the Song of Namwaran. The following takes place after the end of the Burning Wars, when Rajah Matanglawin conquered Maha Vijadesa and forced the Samil kings to submit to him.

Some forty years after the death of Rajah Hinayon Samil, his kingdom of Maha Vijadesa was a fragmented land divided between several rival rajahs. These often raided into the kingdoms of Dharupala and Uparaya, until King Darmadewa of Uparaya led an allied army into Maha Vijadesa and extirpated them all.

This left the Jangalan Vijadesans as the only independent remnants of their race, the inhabitants of Maha Vijadesa either being enslaved or fleeing west to join with their Jangalan kindred.

The last surviving Samil, a boy named Isah, was spirited off to Namwaran by some loyal followers. There he was placed in the protection of Rajah Bagwis, son of Rajah Matanglawin who had conquered the Samils. Rajah Bagwis Namwaran Sikanda Bayahari* received Isah Samil into his court, but never allowed Isah the title of Rajah, instead giving him a small settlement to rule and the rank of Datu.

It was said that Rajah Bagwis denied Isah a rajahnate because Bagwis too had a claim on Maha Vijadesa, and wanted no rivals for it when he was ready to advance his claim. Bagwis’ mother was Bai Lila Mayari, who had married Rajah Matanglawin a few years after the war’s end, and she too was a Samil closely related to the main Samil line. Thus his claim was both by conquest through his father, and by blood through his mother. Isah on the other hand was only distantly related to Rajah Hinayon, and so was held to have a lesser claim.

This slight however never to be forgotten by Isah or his descendants, and would lead to much evil later.

*This long name indicates that Bagwis is of the line of Namwaran, of the line of Sikanda Bayahari.